Jathibhanga massacre: How Pakistani Army, Razakars and their Islamist associates slaughtered over 3,000 Hindus in Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s freedom movement has been marked by harrowing accounts of violence and bloodshed inflicted upon those resisting the repressive regime of West Pakistan which sought to retain its hegemony over East Pakistan at all costs. Notably, around 10 million refugees fled from then East Pakistan to India to escape the atrocities, resulting in a massive refugee crisis. India was eventually compelled to intervene to defend the oppressed population and lead them toward the dawn of independence.

Nevertheless, the violent actions of the Pakistani forces and their collaborators resulted in the tragic loss of thousands of freedom-loving individuals, including the minority Hindu community, who bore the brunt of the brutal suppression. The Hindu community faced a twofold danger from the Pakistani army and their jihadist allies, not only for their desire for independence but also due to their non-Muslim identity.

Consequently, the tyrants unleashed their full force to punish the Hindus for their defiance of the Pakistani state. The aggressive frontal attack led to a wave of massacres, resulting in the deaths of thousands as the Pakistani army and their radical lackeys assaulted innocent Hindus, a grim event that would resonate through history.

On 23rd April 1971, 54 years ago, one such horrifying incident occurred in the Jathibhanga (or Jathivanga) village, now known as Vidhapalli, in Kismat Sukanpukuri Mauza of Balia Union, located within the Thakurgaon sub-division of the greater Dinajpur district, involving the Pakistani army and the Razakars. Members of the Pakistan Democratic Party, Muslim League, and Jamaat-e-Islami were also among the aggressors. All of the Rajbanshi and Bengali people who died during the genocidal event were Hindus. The massacre took the lives of nearly 3,500 Hindus in a matter of hours.

On the fateful day, the jihadi associates of the Pakistani army apprehended innocent Hindu civilians and assembled them along the banks of the Jathibhanga River. Following a tip-off from the Razakars, the occupiers surrounded the men and women from all directions, eliminated them in cold blood and dumped their bodies in a mass grave at the location.

What happened in Jathibhanga

On 26th March 1971, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan, signifying the onset of the country’s liberation war. The invading forces, aided by Razakars, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, unleashed a wave of inhumane torture and killings against those yearning for freedom, following the development.

Thousands of minority families from various villages in Thakurgaon, including Balia, Shukhanpukuri, Jagannathpur, Chakhaldi, Singia, Chandipur, Basudebpur, Milanpur, Gouripur, Khamar Bhopla, Palashbari of Birganj and Deviganj of Panchagarh, escaped to India with their women and children in a desperate bid to escape the brutality.

In the early hours of 23rd April, Hindus from the twelve villages commenced their journey towards India. During their journey, thousands assembled at Jathibhanga to proceed further. Unfortunately, shortly after their arrival, a local collaborator blocked their escape routes and informed the Pakistani army. The Hindu men were escorted in a procession toward the Jathibhanga grounds.

The Pakistani troops arrived in two military trucks, ordered the Hindus to line up and then opened a barrage of gunfire from machine guns. This wave of violence started in the morning and lasted until the afternoon. The army then left after the mass killings and their aides moved the bodies near the Pathraj river and buried them there. According to other reports, their bodies were dropped into the river.

The blood of defenseless victims changed the area into a sea of red, with 3500 individuals brutally slain by firearms and sharp instruments. Hundreds of women became widows that day. This tragedy was the largest genocide recorded in Thakurgaon district during the Bangladesh freedom struggle.

Commemoration of the massacre and demands for justice

The government of Bangladesh installed a memorial at the site of the mass killing in 2009. A condolence meeting was held in 2011 after the victims and survivors held a mourning rally to honor the deceased. The speakers called for the war criminals to stand trial. The government granted a one-time payment of BDT (Bangladeshi Taka) 2,000 to 89 widows in August 2011. Touhidul Islam, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer for Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila, announced that five hundred widows from Jathibhanga village will be included in this initiative in a phased manner.

The community in Jagannathpur village situated in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, marked the Jhathibhanga massacre day with various commemorative events, in 2014. The Jhathibhanga Ganahatya Dibash Palan Committee led a condolence procession. The event saw participation from over a hundred women who had lost their husbands, along with many others who had lost their fathers during the incident. They demanded the prompt arrest, trial and punishment of those responsible for the killings.

Freedom fighter Dr Nipendranath chaired the gathering, which was addressed by a number of people, including journalist Abdul Latif, former Jagannathpur Union Parishad member Dhani Charan, Giren Chandra’s widow Shushila Bewa, Pobanshori and Roshni Rani. Speakers at the program noted that, despite the passage of 43 years since the Liberation War, the Razakars involved in the murders continue to roam freely, with many having risen to positions of influence within society.

Eyewitness Dhani Charan stated, “We decided to cross the border for refuge in India as it was not safe to live in the area. When we reached Jhathibhanga village, the sun was setting and we decided to stay for the night there and start next morning. But the Razakars of the area came to know about it and immediately informed the Pakistani army.”

“A contingent of the Pakistani army rushed to the area and encircled the hapless innocent people. Later the collaborators asked the male members of the minority community to stand in queues. The Pakistani soldiers and their collaborators killed around 3,000 people that day,” she further added. Other women who witnessed the violence, including Pabanshori, Gothan Bala and Roshni Rani also recalled the horrifying details of the terrible event.

This was not the only incident of mass murder in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) by the Pakistan Army. On 25th March 1971, the Pakistani military executed a massacre of defenseless Bengalis, under “Operation Searchlight.” This event stands as one of the most horrific mass murder incidents in history. The Pakistan army, along with the Peace Committee, Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams forces, perpetrated these killings. Bangladeshi authorities have uncovered five thousand boddhovumi (slaughterhouses) since gaining independence.

More than a thousand individuals have been identified from these sites. A significant number of skulls, skeletal remains and hair have been retrieved from the slaughterhouses. These shocking sites are distributed throughout the nation and the Jathibhanga slaughter ground stands as a stark reminder of the most brutal massacre that transpired in the Thakurgaon district. According to the definition of genocide provided by the United Nations, the horrific events of 1971 displayed the first four of the five characteristics. However, the genocide in Bangladesh has not yet gained international recognition.

These gut wrenching events and their residual effects serve as a testament to the abuse, persecution and cruelty by Pakistanis and their Islamist allies on Bangladesh and its people, especially Hindus.

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